Sponge mop adapter



Sept. 6, 1969 c. D. ROBERTS 3,455,692

SPONGE MOP ADAPTER Filed Feb. 28, 1968 INVENTOR.

- -91 ELIPTUNUH ERTS.

JITTYS.

United States Patent US. Cl. 15-152 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sponge map adapter for use with conventional mop handles which are designed for holding a string mop. The adapter consists of a first rigid planar section generally the size of a resilient sponge which will be inserted between the end of a conventional mop handle and the movable looped mop bail extending below the end. The adapter includes a second section extending at an angle from one end of the first section and terminating in a clamp which is secured to the mop handle above its end so that the first section is positioned below and adjacent to the end of the mop. When a resilient sponge is placed below the first section and the bail is moved to its closed position adjacent the map end, the sponge is held against the first section which provides a rigid support therefor and the section of the bail extending below the first section is embedded within the sponge between its upper and lower. faces.

This invention is an adapter which may be used in combination with commercially available mop handles designed for use with a string type mop which will convert such mop handles to an instrument for securing a resilient sponge to the lower end thereof.

Sponge mops using a resilient sponge of natural or artificial composition have been available for a number of years and usually comprise a handle with a rigid backing secured to the lower end of the handle. The resilient sponge is glued, stapled, or otherwise permanently attached to the rigid backing. With these devices, when the lower or scrubbing surface of the sponge becomes worn, it is necessary to replace it either by ungluing or unstapling the device, or by completely replacing the sponge and its rigid backing.

String type mops, which are generally adapted for covering a larger area than a sponge type mop, are commercially sold with the mop handles being detachable so that the entire mop head or string portion of the mop may be replaced. Commercially available mop handles include a cylindrical shaft having a lower end which may include a T-shaped member extending across the lower end and a movable wire loop or bail which, when in open position, extends an inch or so below the end of the mop or the T-shaped member and, when in closed position, is resiliently biased against the end or T-shaped member to hold the strings therein. United States Patent 685,858 illustrates a mop handle of this type.

It is an object of this invention to provide an adapter which can be readily attached to a conventional mop handle of the type shown in the above cited United States patent which will convert that handle to a device which can securely but removably mount a resilient sponge below a rigid backing plate. The device described in detail below accomplishes this object and has the advantage that, as the sponge becomes worn on its lower surface, it may be easily reversed to expose a new rubbing surface and, when the sponge becomes completely worn out, it may be easily removed and a new sponge inserted therein.

The device described below has an additional advantage in that it will hold a generally flat, rectangular sponge in a manner so that its lower or cleaning surface Patented Sept. 16, 1969 'ice remains substantially planar so that the sponge may be used for cleaning or applying liquids to a relatively large area, as opposed to devices holding a wedge-shaped or arcuate sponge which are particularly designed for cleaning corners or windows, etc.

Other advantages of the device of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference being made to the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the sponge mop adapter of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view in elevation of a conventional mop handle with its bail in open position with the sponge mop adapter of FIGURE 1 secured thereto and with a sponge placed in position under the adapter; and

FIGURE 3 is a side view in elevation, similar to FIG- URE 2 but shown on an enlarged scale, and illustrating the manner in which the sponge is held against the lower surface of the adapter when the bail of the mop handle is in closed position.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the sponge mop adapter device includes a first planar rigid section 10 which is preferably of rectangular shape and slightly smaller than the dimensions of a commercially available rectangular sponge to be used with the device. For example, a commonly sold rectangular sponge having the dimensions of 6 /2 inches by 4 /2 inches by 2% inches is most suitable for use with this device. By proportioning the length and width of the first rigid section 10 to be slightly smaller than 6% inches by 4 /2 inches, the edges of the sponge S, as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, extend slightly beyond the edges of the first rigid section 10. This is advantageous in that the edges of the first section 10 will not strike and mar furniture or walls, etc., when the device is in use.

Secured to and extending upwardly at an angle to the first rigid section 10 is a second generally planar rigid section 11. In the embodiment shown, both sections 10 and 11 are formed from a single piece of sheet metal. As seen in FIGURE 1, the second section is inwardly tapered in an upward direction and terminates in a clamp member 13 which is formed by a pair of opposed arcuate legs 14 and 15 which may be formed from oppositely extending ears of the sheet metal forming the sections 10 and 11. Between the open ends of the arcuate legs 14 and 15 is a device for drawing the legs together, in this embodiment shown as a threaded fastener 16 with a wing nut 17.

Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, the conventional mop handle of the type described includes a cylindrical shaft 17 which may terminate with a T-shaped member 18 secured to its lower end. An open loop or bail 19 with its lowermost portion 20 extending below the end of the shaft 17 is pivoted to a lever 21 which is in turn pivoted to the uppermost portion of a resilient spring 22 circumjacent the lower end of the shaft 17. When the lever 21 is in open position as shown in FIGURE 2, the bail 19 is in its open position below the end of the shaft. When the lever 21 is in its closed position against the shaft 17, the lowermost portion 20 of the bail 19 is drawn upwardly adjacent to the end of the shaft 17.

When the sponge mop adapter shown in FIGURE 1 is secured to the shaft 17 by means of the clamp member 13 with the end of the shaft or T-shaped member 18 resting against the upper surface of the first section 10 of the adapter, and with the lever 21 in open position, the rectangular sponge S may be placed below the first section with its upper face adjacent the lower surface of the first section 10 and with its lower face opposite the lowermost portion 20 of the bail 19. With the sponge S so positioned, when the lever 21 is returned to its closed position, the lowermost portion 20 of the bail 19 is drawn upwardly to compress the sponge S against the lower surface of the first section 10. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, because of the resiliency of the sponge S, the lowermost portion 20 of the bail 19 is completely embedded or recessed within the interior of the sponge S so that it will not be exposed to the lower or Working surface of the sponge S.

In addition, if the width of the sponge S is slightly larger than the distance between the arms of the bail 19, the side portions of the bail are likewise recessed or em bedded within the sides of the sponge S so that they cannot mar furniture or other objects near the surface being treated.

As illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, the clamp 13 is designed to hold the second section 11 generally parallel to the shaft 17 of the mop handle. When the angle between the first section and the second section 11 is greater than 90 but less than 135, the angle between the first section 10 and the mop handle shaft 17, when the first section 10 is parallel with the floor or Working surface, is an angle for normal working of a mop. Thus, when the user of the device is holding the handle at a normal angle, the lower surface of the sponge S is parallel with the floor or work surface so that wear on the sponge is substantially uniform.

As previously explained, when the lower surface of the sponge becomes worn, the sponge may be turned over to expose the other surface. In addition, if the wear on one edge of the lower surface becomes excessive, due to excessive pressure on one edge of the lower surface, the sponge may be reversed from front to rear to expose its other lower surface to this type of uneven wear. Thus, the instant device effectively provides four separate positions for each sponge. This is, of course, advantageous in that the maximum life from each sponge may be utilized.

In addition, the use of the adapter device of this invention provides an effective backing plate for the sponge so that it may be effectively squeezed by applying downward pressure on the top surface of the firs-t section 10 to squeeze out the sponge S. This may be conveniently done by the user of the device who places his foot upon the downward surface. If the pail of liquid storage device is equipped with a perforate horizontal plate, excess or dirty liquid from the sponge may effectively be removed in this manner without the necessity of wringers or other devices for squeezing the sponge.

Various other modifications of the above described preferred embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the attached claims.

I claim:

1. A liquid applicator device comprising, in combination, a cylindrical mop shaft having a fixed end extending normally to the shaft and a looped mop bail positioned below said fixed end and movable from an open position below said fixed end to a closed position at which the lowermost portion thereof is biased toward said fixed end, a sponge mop adapter secured to said mop shaft and including a first rigid planar section having upper and lower surfaces, said first section extending through said looped bail with said upper surface abutting said fixed end and said lower surface opposite the lowermost portion of said mop bail, a second rigid planar section extending upwardly from one side of said first section and terminating in a clamp member secured to said cylindrical shaft whereby, when a resilient sponge having upper and lower faces is placed below said first section with its upper face adjacent the lower surface thereof and said bail is moved to its closed position, said sponge will be secured to said first section by said ball with its upper face held against the lower surface of said first section and with the lowermost portion of said bail embedded within said sponge between its upper and lower faces.

2. The liquid applicator device of claim 1 wherein the angle between said first and said second planar sections, measured from the upper surface of said first planar section, is between and 3. The liquid applicator device of claim 1 wherein said fixed end abutting said upper surface of said first section comprises a T-shaped member secured to said shaft and extending outwardly on each side of said shaft normal to the axis thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,703,424 3/ 1955 Nicoli l5244 2,710,420 6/ 1955 Granat et al 15244 XR 3,167,798 2/1965 Dryden 15l15 FOREIGN PATENTS 133,516 10/1919 Great Britain. 124,041 2/1949 Sweden.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 15148 

